Most consumers who use mobile telecommunication devices rarely change aspects of their service plan with their mobile service provider. This rarity may be attributed to the time and effort required to effect the service plan change. To make a change, a subscriber must typically initiate contact with the service provider via a telephone call to customer service or via a self-help system on the service provider's website. Once contact is initiated, implementing a change can be a multi-step process that takes a certain amount of time to complete and a certain understanding of all of the service plan options to make an informed decision. While most service providers strive to simplify this process, the change process may sometimes discourage subscribers from making a change to their service on a frequent basis.
Even if a service provider simplifies the process of changing aspects of a subscriber's service plan, the process is often not performed in a subscriber-friendly fashion. Changes are rarely implemented immediately, and may take twenty-four (24) hours or more to propagate through the service provider's systems. While most consumers are willing to accept this delay, the lack of immediate feedback to the consumer is a sub-optimal experience. Most consumers would prefer a service provider that reduces the time and effort necessary to change a service plan, such as by eliminating the need to personally contact the service provider. Most consumers would also prefer a service provider that completed a requested change immediately. If such an offering existed, it is expected that subscribers would more frequently make changes to their service plan and would ultimately be more satisfied with the service that they receive.